Back in January, I wrote that smart guys were losing their shirts, a sign for us mere mortals that the going was getting tough this year and next.

Below are some examples that I cited 10 months ago of large investment boners made by some smartypants, even before the credit market disaster spilled over and doomed equities (with updates in parentheses):"

As convenient as online shopping is for consumers, you can't exactly try out or try on what you're buying. Which means a lot of returns — a fact many e-tailers seem to ignore. Sending back opened electronics, for example, can often mean paying additional shipping and restocking fees, which can run anywhere from 5 to 15 percent of the purchase price— no small amount if we're talking about a $4,000 flat-screen TV. Repeat returners can even get banned in some cases — Amazon will cancel your account if it sees what it considers an excessive amount of returns for your account. (The company says the decision to close customer accounts is never taken lightly and can be appealed.)

Happily, some e-tailers offer easy, postage-paid returns. For instance, you can buy three pairs of the same shoe in various sizes from Zappos.com and send back the two that don't fit free of charge. But despite their popularity with consumers, a survey by Forrester Research suggests that postage-paid returns aren't being embraced by retailers across the board; only 31 percent of those surveyed currently offer it. 'There's a fear it could be really expensive,' says Mulpuru."

Sunday, November 23, 2008

"E-commerce giants like Amazon.com, which offers free shipping on orders over $25 and eliminates even that minimum for customers who pay a flat annual fee, can easily absorb shipping costs. But small online vendors struggle. Powell’s Books, a bookstore in Portland, Ore. with a site that competes for customers with Amazon.com, offers free shipping on orders over $50."

: "An online content network and publishing site that enables everyday people to earn money by sharing their personal perspectives and expertise on any subject, AssociatedContent.com received an all-time high of 8.2 million unique visitors in October per Comscore. As more people look to supplement their incomes by publishing through Associated Content's platform, October's record page-view total translated directly into increased earnings for everyone published on the site."

Friday, November 21, 2008

As its customers are squeezed, Akamai gets ready for slowdown - The Boston Globe: "Despite the 110 layoffs it announced on Wednesday by Akamai Technologies Inc. of Cambridge, the company insists it hasn't fallen on hard times -- yet. But many of Akamai's customers are being hammered by the recession, and chief executive Paul Sagan wants to cut costs early to prepare for any slowdown in the company's growth rate."

"It's more than twice as old as the Pyramids, or even the written word. When it was built, saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths still roamed, and the Ice Age had just ended.

The elaborate temple at Gobelki Tepe in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, is staggeringly ancient: 11,500 years old, from a time just before humans learned to farm grains and domesticate animals."

For more on executive responsibility and Corporate Governance check out Carl Icahn's blog 'The Icahn Report'. Mr Icahn also has a group, called 'United Shareholders of America', to promote his views on those topics. Membership is free.

Senator rips auto industry at bailout hearing - Nov. 18, 2008: "General Motors boss Rick Wagoner said his company was attempting to transform itself. He ticked off a long list of innovations - from developing nine hybrid models for next year to rapid development of the Chevy Volt, a car that runs on just electricity.

'We felt we were well on the road to turning around the North American business,' said Wagoner. 'Since then, the industry and the economy has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. It threatens the turnaround and GM's financial survival.'"

Dump the rotten monarchy of Wagoner, Mulally and Nardelli, cut lobbying efforts by 75%, stop saying "Oh, we didn't see the world economic crisis coming and we would have been fine except for that." It's not believable. Do all this and more and maybe you can have the $25 billion.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

"Another factor, said Wolin, is that Everday Health—in keeping with its name—has constructed a portfolio of products that focus on daily health usage. “Our products, content and tools encourage visitors to come back daily—to check a pregnancy calendar, or to use a diet tool or diabetes tool, for example,” he said."

This guy, I don't know him personally, sends this kind of stuff out on a regular basis. Time to shine a light on this cockroach and the filth he tracks across the floor.

Here's the latest from GocatsBob. By the way, it seems he got this one from this address - jrcritters@att.net. "An Historic Event"..that's all I keephearing. I don't see what the BIG deal is! Ithappens every day..... When January 20, 2009 rollsaround, it'll just be another black family moving into government housing."

I find this objectionable. If you agree why don't you write GocatsBob@aol.com and his buddy jrcritters@att.net and tell them so. Stay tuned for more.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Yes, every single blog posting and every single Web comment you've ever made. Think you could catalog all that info? And would there be anything -- say, an off-the-cuff comment you left on an ex's profile, or an angry remark you made on a blog -- that might make you look less than honorable? We won't even get into why you used to post under the handle "BigPoppa68."

I have lots of issues with Sarah Palin, that's why I was reading this article, but the paragraph below is what really caught my attention because it seems to be doing what the authors are accusing Palin of doing.

"No wonder the vast sea of white, cheering faces at the Republican Convention went wild for Sarah: They adore the type, it’s in their genetic code. So much for McCain’s pledge of a “high road” campaign; Palin is incapable of being part of one."

Callahan is toe cheese and Dennis is the odor coming off it. Neither one has an ounce of integrity. If Callahan were to run for public office it would be as a member of the Pro Prison Rape Party. Nice guy!!!

The hands down winner is the aerial shot from Chicago showing a steady stream of people walking across streets and bridges, heading towards Grant Park and the Obama celebration.

Second place would be the "slide show' I saw on Huffington Post. The pictures showed polling places and voters across America. I particularly liked the pics from rural locations and I think the one from Rabbit Hash, Kentucky may have been my favorite.